A cognitive approach to decision support systems

 A Decision Support System is not merely a computer -based information system designed to collect, manipulate and generate information. It is a tool which enhances the decision making capabilities of managers by augmenting their mental processes. It is often difficult for the user to adapt any information system into the decision making process if the decision maker is psychologically unsatisfied about the capabilities or performance of that system. Strategies for design of DSS should focus on design, development and implementation of systems which are highly interactive with the users and assimilate into their decision process. The research is exploratory in nature. Initially in this research, the human decision making processes is analysed and two models on human decision making are identified after synthesising past studies. A set of desirable cognitive attributes is derived from a comprehensive literature review. The cognitive attributes summarised into a checklist and the checklist is then applied to the evaluation of selected DSS packages. The evaluation indicates that the current available literature can provide operational guidelines for cognitive considerations in the design of DSS. The research further explains that design considerations arising from the set of desirable attributes may eventually enhance the quality of Human Computer Interaction. Limitations and future research opportunities are discussed.